In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Pais, the Dutch international says: “Many people said that they hoped that I would not become like Van Basten. But I knew that it would not be the case. I had many doctors and physiotherapists who I trusted enormously, and who said: ‘You need time, but it will be fine.'”
Marco van Basten critical of important Dutch internationals Frenkie de Jong and Virgil van Dijk
Van Basten played his last match for AC Milan at the age of 28, during the lost Champions League final against Olympique Marseille (0-1). A persistent ankle injury forced him to quit.
Frenkie de Jong sneers: ‘My salary was exaggerated and that was your fault’
Frenkie de Jong is now top fit again and plays almost everything for Barcelona and the Dutch national team. “I may have been worried for two weeks. But after that, not anymore. My only worry was when I would be able to perform 100% again.”
‘Lamine Yamal (18) no longer signs autographs with a new sponsorship deal on the way’
De Jong is feeling very good and recently received compliments from Lamine Yamal and previously also received personal compliments from Lionel Messi, who played for Barcelona until 2021. De Jong has been in Catalonia since 2019.
Lionel Messi and Frenkie de Jong during the 2022 World Cup. © ANP/HH
“It makes you proud. Messi was my idol; for me he is the best of them all. I never saw Cruijff play,” De Jong adds about the Netherlands’ best footballer of all time. “It’s not like Messi came up to me one day at breakfast and said: ‘You’re great.’ That didn’t happen. But I don’t want to talk about it too much, because Leo doesn’t like it when private conversations are made public.”
| Position | Team | P | GS | W | V | G | DS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | +10 | |
| 2 | 19 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | +13 | |
| 3 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | +6 | |
| 4 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | +5 | |
| 5 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | +2 | |
| 6 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | +5 | |
| 7 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | +4 | |
| 8 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | +2 | |
| 9 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | |
| 10 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | +1 | |
| 11 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | -2 | |
| 12 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | -1 | |
| 13 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | -1 | |
| 14 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | -2 | |
| 15 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | -4 | |
| 16 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | -3 | |
| 17 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | -12 | |
| 18 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | -12 | |
| 19 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 2 | -5 | |
| 20 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 2 | -6 |